Established in 1986 and now part a of the Rajiv Gandhi Udyan, the Katraj Snake Park has been an important landmark in the city, with a number of exhibits that comprise variety of snakes, crocodiles, tortoises and various other reptiles.

Besides enlightening visitors about the animals and its dwelling, the snake park is also making a significant contribution to society by providing teaching aids for the blind. It is visited by more than 500 visually challenged students a year, not just from Pune but also from all over Maharashtra. With this in mind, the management has come up with a number of boards in Braille that give information about various snakes in the park. "We make the session a fun-filled activity for children by making it more interactive. We let them go through a few boards, and then let them feel a snake or other reptile they have just read about. We then ask them to identify the snake using their sense of touch," says Neelam Kumar Khaire, founder and director of the park. "The expression of joy and wonder on their faces when they manage to picture the snake is unparalleled," Khaire adds.

Various institutions for the blind from around the city have benefitted from this initiative taken by the snake park. "The park authorities were very helpful in organising a field trip for the children at our institution. They provided them with a valuable experience, which students will always remember," says Ganesh Patil, a teacher at the Poona School and Home for the Blind, which organises visits to the Katraj Snake Park on a regular basis. Patil had accompanied a group of visually challenged children in past. "We had conducted the visit in the form of a picnic, and the children were at an age where their minds are the most impressionable. Feeling the texture and shape of the snake left an ineffaceable impression on their minds and such firsthand experiences not only gives knowledge but also develops a concrete understanding in them," he adds.

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